The Thin Line Between Love and Hate
by The Head Reviewer
Summary: Stefan and Elena up the ante and take their "fake fight" to a whole new level by adding a fake relationship between Elena and Damon. But really, what's the difference between pretend and real life?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their respective owners. **

**Props to my beta, Poppy S-O.**

Elena gives Stefan a quick hug and dares to give him a fast peck on the lips before heading towards the Grill.

"I'm off to do the impossible," Elena says, sighing with a hint of bitterness.

Stefan gives her a weak smile. "Just think about how much easier are lives will be once this is over," he whispers in her ear.

Elena nods, not feeling too confident.

"_And you're positive Stefan and Elena have broken up, right?" Katherine asks, scrutinizing her appearance in the mirror. Not a hair out of place, of course. She adjusts her necklace and smirks to herself, liking what she sees. _

_Caroline nods hastily. "One hundred percent sure. She and Stefan are so over." _

_Katherine stops smiling, gritting her teeth slightly. "You better be right or I will kill you."_

"Thanks for meeting me here, Damon," Elena says, stirring sugar into her coffee.

Damon gives her a smile which appears more like a smirk. "The pleasure is mine, Ms. Gilbert."

Elena sips on the scalding hot coffee to keep herself from snapping back at him. She burns her tongue and the hot cup nearly slips out of her hand. Damon is speedy to have a hand supporting the cup from below with a grim look on his face.

"You should really be careful," he says, helping her set the cup down.

"I'm fine," Elena snaps. She apologizes, remembering she had a mission to complete. "Listen, I've been thinking and it would suck to lose you as a friend."

Damon looks up immediately, a new type of brightness in his eyes. "Are you serious?"

Elena forces herself to smile and nod. "Perhaps we should go somewhere a little more… quiet?"

Of course, Damon's first to stand up and Elena reluctantly follows him outside.

"_We need a new plan, Elena."_

_Elena sits cross-legged on her bed, hugging her teddy bear. "I know but we can trust Caroline, right?"_

"_Caroline is Katherine's minion out of fear, Elena," Stefan reminds her. "If Katherine wants information, she's going to threaten and manipulate it out of Caroline."_

_Elena shakes her head. "She's my friend, she won't do that."_

_Stefan sighs. "If Katherine's threatening to kill Caroline, it doesn't matter if you're her best friend. Caroline isn't exactly the martyr if you haven't noticed."_

_Frowning, Elena asks, "What do we do then? How do we convince Katherine we've broken up for real? You're not suggesting we actually break up, are you?"_

_Stefan takes a moment to think before saying, "Katherine wants what she can't have. She only wants me because I'm with you."_

"_What are you saying? Go out with someone else so she'll get jealous and leave us alone?"_

_Stefan shrugs, nodding._

"_But who in the world is going to make Katherine jealous? No... You can't possibly be suggesting him." Elena realises with sinking fear just what Stefan's means. "Please, please, please not Damon. Why him? After all that's he done?"_

"_I know, but he's one of the few who can actually protect you. He's stronger than me, for now, and it's only pretend. You just have to make Katherine and him believe it's real."_

_He sits down next to her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her. Elena rests her head on his shoulder, leaning in against his body. _

"_Only pretend…" _

"I realized what you said was true. I have been lying. I've been lying to Stefan, you, and more importantly, myself." Elena tries to sound as convincing as possible but it's easy when Damon is barely able to contain his obvious excitement.

"What does this mean for us, then? As friends?" _Or lovers, _he adds in his mind.

Elena avoids eye contact as she whispers, "Sure, we're friends." She feels a finger lifting her chin up before two large hands cup her face.

"How are you?" Damon asks with genuine concern. "It must be a bitch to have a crazy vampire who looks _exactly _like you on the loose. And with your whole break-up with Stefan…"

Elena feels a pang of guilt in her heart. She may hate Damon but that doesn't mean she doesn't feel bad tricking him into believing that they were friends again. "I'd rather not talk about it," she mumbles truthfully.

Damon understands and one hand drops from her face. Elena feels his fingertips gently brush against hers. He takes her hand carefully in his and Elena doesn't object to the more-than-just-friends touching.

Hot tears start to form in Elena's eyes and she tries to look away. She's feels so manipulative, just like Katherine – just like what Damon said. Damon wipes away the tears with his thumb, hushing her. And now, seeing this sensitive, comforting side of Damon was only making her feel worse. He was supposed to be heartless with no redeeming qualities. Why was he making it so hard to hate him? She's so lost in her thoughts; she doesn't notice his lips tentatively press against her cheek. She doesn't even notice Alaric Saltzman watching dumfounded, or Caroline, ready to report everything back to Katherine.

Her and Stefan's plan was going perfectly, with all the right people watching but she could care less. Elena could only concentrate on reminding herself that Damon Salvatore was the monster who ruined her life.

"_Have you ever thought that Elena doesn't like you because you're a dick?" Alaric asks. He's dipping carefully pointed wooden stakes in vervain. _

_Damon rolls his eyes. "Is there any particular reason you've started setting up an arsenal in your garage?"_

_Alaric gives him a look, holding up the stake to let it dry. "I can't have you're crazy ex-girlfriend killing everyone in this town."_

_He sees a glimmer of pain flash across Damon's face. "I got you to thank for turning me into Buffy, remember?"_

"_Well, this was fun. But I have better things to do. Don't give me that look; I'm not going to kill any co-eds."_

**A/N: Short chapter, I know. But I have big plans for this story. So leave a review because then I'll be happy and forget about that the fact that there is NO NEW VAMPIRE DIARIES THIS WEEK. Don't worry; I'm going to be okay. **

**BTWs, was Damon too OOC? I'm slightly paranoid. Or just some lovesick puppy?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**A/N: Thanks to my beta, Poppy. **

"I've forgiven you but that doesn't mean we're back to normal," Elena clarifies as they talk in her bedroom. She keeps her fingernails firmly dug into the palms of her hands but her voice remains perfectly cool and calm.

"You know I never meant to hurt you or Jeremy, right? You know it was just in the heat of the moment, right? Right, Elena?" Damon interrupts.

Elena stares at the wall. "Can we not talk about that," she mumbles. "You can't just expect to get lucky. You didn't even know he was wearing the ring. What would have happened if he wasn't wearing it?"

"No one expects to get lucky; that isn't what luck is. The most important thing is Jeremy's alive. In a hundred years, we'll look back at all this and laugh."

Elena's heart skips a beat as her blood goes cold. _In a hundred years?_ She didn't feel very comfortable thinking about the day she would be have to Turn… if that day ever came. Of course it would have to come eventually, unless she wanted what Caroline said to be true.

"If it's worth anything, nothing like that will ever happen again. Not because of Katherine. I'm past that. You of all people should know that. I won't let her get to me. Not anymore," Damon says, feeling the tight strings of Katherine wrapped around his heart loosening.

Elena forces herself to nod, biting back tears. "Remember, trust is earned-"

"Not given," Damon finishes for her. "I'll go now, if you want." He stands up, tossing Elena's teddy bear back on the bed. He half waits for Elena to grab his hand and tell him to stay longer.

But she doesn't.

"Yeah, it's getting late. You look… tired," Elena finishes off lamely.

Damon smirks. "I'm dead. I'm not tired."

"Have you been… feeding properly?" she asks, feeling slightly odd discussing blood.

More smirking.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about me, Miss Gilbert," he opens her window, poking one leg out. "I'll pop a couple bags when I get home. Nuke 'em a little. Gotta keep my strength up to fight the Wicked Bitch of the West," Damon says; his smile wider than a Cheshire cat's.

Elena pushes the rest of his body out the window, in a joking manner. He falls to the ground and lands on his feet expertly.

"Just like a cat, eh?" he calls out to her from the darkness downstairs. "How many lives do I have?"

"Four," Elena calls back. She hears laughter.

"You're not actually keeping count, are you?" Damon says with a mocking tone in his voice.

_Oh yes, _Elena nods eagerly. She doesn't respond but holds her breath from the point where she can no longer see Damon walking down the road and Stefan enters her room. It isn't very long but she exhales heavily, flinging her arms around him.

"How'd it go with Damon?" he asks, hugging her tightly.

Elena inhales Stefan's scent deeply. "He thinks we're friends again," Elena says in one short breath. "I'm not liking where this is going, Stefan. Isn't there another way?"

She feels Stefan squeeze her hand reassuringly but she doesn't feel comforted at all.

"The person you are trying to reach is not currently available. Please leave a message after the beep."

_Beep. _

"This is Elena. I was thinking maybe we could grab a bite… I'll stop by later…" Elena hangs up, feeling stupid.

"I brought lunch," Elena says, holding up a brown paper bag.

Damon takes the bag from her, setting it down on the table. "Why are you being so nice to me?" he asks skeptically. "I killed your brother," he adds bluntly.

Elena goes stiff. "I know but with Katherine and all, we can't exactly be mortal enemies." She unpacks Styrofoam boxes from the Grill onto the table. "It's just a burger," she says, handing him a container. "You can have my pickle if you want." She doesn't say much but Damon is impressed she got him something even if he doesn't need to eat.

"But you still hate me," Damon says, heading to the fridge. He grabs a bag of blood, Type AB Negative, and tosses it into the microwave.

Elena chews on the inside of her gum. "Hate is a _really _strong word." She finds Damon standing in front of her, very close.

"Some say there is a very thin line between hate and love. Or lust," Damon says grinning. "What do you think, Elena? Do you ever find yourself crossing that line?"

Elena squeezes her eye shut. He was going to kiss her. _Oh God, no,_ Elena begs silently. She can feel him getting closer before…

_Boom. _

The blood bag inside the microwave explodes and they both hear the sound of splattering blood.

"Shit," Damon mutters, grabbing a few paper towels to go clean up the mess. "You owe me a rain check on that kiss, you know?" he says nonchalantly, wiping up the blood from the microwave.

Elena's jaw drops. "I do not!" she says, appalled. She finds herself getting pissed. "Stop being a douche," she manages to spit out.

"Kinda hard when I am one," he taunts. He tosses the bloody paper towels into the sink and heads to the fridge to get another blood bag.

This time he doesn't bother warming it up. He tears at one of the edges, spitting out the piece of plastic. Elena watches it fascination as he gulps down the blood. She sees the faint trace of darker veins near his eyes. She diverts her attention to her own lunch, trembling slightly.

She takes a seat, trying to avoid watching Damon rip open another blood bag. The fries are slightly soggy from the steam and heat but that doesn't stop Elena from shoveling them down her throat. She takes large bites of her burger to avoid talking with Damon. It isn't long before she chokes and it isn't a surprise either, considering the fact she's barely chewing her food.

Damon is there to whack her a few times on the back and Elena nods somewhat gratefully. He takes a seat opposite her and waits silently as Elena spits out half-chewed burger bits into a napkin.

"I just saved your life… again," Damon says triumphantly like a toddler who'd just been potty-trained.

Elena rolls her eyes. "I was fine." She pushes her fries around, thinking of something to say.

"I guess. If it weren't for me though, you could have seriously choked. Then I would've had to do the Heimlich Maneouver or even mouth-to-mouth," Damon says with a lewd smile. He takes his own burger and practically inhales it.

He finishes it under four minutes, tops, before getting up. He wipes his dirty fingers on the side of his jeans. "Let's get out of here," he offers.

Elena agrees, only because she needs Katherine to see her in public with Damon. At least that's what she tells herself.

**A/N: Okay, Damon and Elena are getting a little too OOC for me. Don't worry, I'll have Damon rip open a few throats next chapter:) Actually, next chapter is some Katherine scenes. Stefan/Damon interaction… Lots of good stuff. So make sure YOU leave a review. Loved it, hated it. I love 'em all. I'm just a whore like that.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

Okay, so I know I probably pissed a shitload of you because you got this message saying I updated but this isn't a chapter of some story you decided to add to your alert list. It's been forever since I updated and honestly, my beta hasn't even heard from me in a few weeks. It's been too long since I've had to hit that 'log-in' button because all I've done is read other fics.

And if you hate me, that's fine but I have some semi-valid excuses for not updating.

I would like to say that Katherine came into my house and chopped off all my fingers but the real story is close enough... I was lazy.

The show also really threw me off. It just didn't feel right to write another chapter of this story when the show was changing so much and blablahblah.

However, there is a two week absence of new episodes in November and then the LOOOONG winter holidays hiatus so I'll be writing then.

I may or may not continue with this story. Lemme now if this craptastic story should be continued;)

I have other stories I'm going forming in my head for the November break...

Review letting me know.

Sorry for people who thought this was an update. I think this violates one of FF's rules...

THR


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